Advertising device



Oct. 27, 1959 J. H. STAAR ADVERTISING DEVICE Filed Jan. 26, 1955 FIGZFIG.I

FIG. 5

I N V EN TOR. WAk ca Jaws Ha E/VBSTAA R A FIG.3

invention pertains to an advertising device and,

moreparticularly, to' a device particularly adapted to advertiseball-point pens or the like.

An'object of the invention is the provision of a'- cradle 'or othersupport. for a ball ora sphere which is engaged by a vibration producingdevice in order to set the ball or sphere in .rotary motion.

A further object of the invention is to. make the vibration producingdevice invisible by means of a casing built around it so that'only theupper part of the rotating ball or sphere is visible.

Another object of the invention'lies in the provision or a light sourcewithin the casingin such a manner. that only the ball or sphere isilluminated.

For-a better understanding of the present invention tdgether with otherand further object's thereof,- re'fere'nce is had to the followingdescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and itsscope will be pointed out in the appended claims.

With reference to the drawings:

Figure 1 is an isometric view of the advertising device with the casingremoved.

Figure 2 is a side view of the device with its casing in place, as itwould appear in a display window.

Figure 3 is a side view partially in section showing a modified form ofthe invention.

Figure 4 is a side view partially in section showing a portion of thedevice shown in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a view showing a fragmentary part of the device and showinga modification which can be used.

With reference to the drawing there is shown in Figures l and 2 a base 1upon which a frame 2 is mounted in a vertical position. A horizontallydisposed bar 3 is connected across the frame 2 and supports anelectromagnetic coil 4. The frame 2 includes an upper crossbar 5 towhich is connected a ring or cradle 6 held suspended above the coil 4.The diameter of the ring 6 preferably is slightly smaller than thediameter of a ping-pong ball, and the ball or sphere 8, which preferablyis a ping-pong ball, is adapted to rest in the ring 6 and thus be heldin a relatively fixed position.

One end only of a thin plate 9 is connected to the cross-bar 5 by meansof a screw 10, and the plate 9 is located between the cross-bar and thering 6. The plate 9 is made of material which will vibrate under theinfluence of alternating magnetic flux established by connecting coil 4to a source of alternating electric current, such as the ordinary 60cycle A.C. house current.

An actuating finger 11, preferably rubber tipped, is aflixed, as bysoldering, to the portion of the thin plate 9 under the ring 6, andextends diagonally upwardly so that its tip will touch the bottom of aball mounted on the ring. It is important that the point of contact ofthe finger 11 with the ball 8 be offset in relation to a vertical planepassing through the center of the ball 8 so that as the finger 11vibrates the point thereof moves Un O 2 substantially vertically actingagainst the ball 8, so that it will raise the ball and will also impartto it a slight rotary motion.

Energization of the coil 4 causes the sub-assembly comprised of theplate 9, and the finger 11 to vibrate, and also causes the ball 8 tovibrate slightly. As the ball vibrates up and down it also rotates dueto the off-center contact of the finger 11 with the ball and thecomponent of thrust applied tangentially of the surface of the ball.

A preferred method for mounting the plate 9'on the frame 2 is shown inFigure 1, and comprises a bracket connected to one of the legs of theframe 2. An eccentric 12 is connected to a shaft rotatably mounted onthe bracket, and a thumb screw 13 is connected to the shaft. The end ofthe plate 9 on the other side of the mounting screw '10 from thevibrating end extends over and in contact with the eccentric 12. As thethumb screw 13 is rotated the amplitude of vibration of the plate 9, thefinger 11 and the ball 8 may be controlled.

The entire operating and control mechanism may be mounted within acasing 14 and thus be invisible, as shown in Figure 2. When such acasing is used the ring 6 may be eliminated as the circular top edge 15of the casing serves the same purpose. An electric light 16 mountedinside the casing 14 may be used to illuminate the ball 8 from below.

The lead wires 17 of coil- 4 extend from an alternating current sourceoutside of the device, through hole 18 in the casing 14, to theelectromagnet 4.

The device of the present invention operates with a ball which isperfectly spherical, or it may be used with a ball which is notspherical, thereby to achieve psychological effects which cannototherwise be obtained. Further, various designs may be printed on thesurface of the ball, or the ball may be provided with raised or hollowspots.

Figure 3 shows another embodiment wherein the ball 8 rests on the top ofa vertically mounted transparent tube 20 around the lower end 21 ofwhich the electromagnet 22 is mounted. Flexible rings 23 are positionedbetween the tube 20 and the electromagnet. The tube 20 is made ofmaterial responsive to the electromagnetic field generated by the coil22 and thus reciprocates up and down, thereby vibrating the ball 8. Acasing 14' covers the electromagnet but leaves visible the ball and partof the vibrating rod 20. A lamp 24- is mounted directly under the hollowtube 20 in order to illuminate the underneath side of the ball 8.

In the variation shown in Figure 4 a plexiglass tube 20 is tightlyencircled at the bottom by rubber rings 25- connected to a vibratingplate 26 which is vibrated by an electromagnet 27, somewhat similar tothe structure shown in Figure 1. The electromagnet is energized tovibrate the plate 26 and the plate, through the rubber rings 25,vibrates the tube 20'.

As shown by Figure 5 the upper end 28 of the tubes 20 or 20' can have anuneven shape so that as the ball 8 falls back onto the tube after beingvibrated into the air it will not fall in exactly the same position.Thus the ball will turn as it vibrates, producing a wide variety ofmotions. To best produce this motion the top of the tube 20 or 20'should be hollowed out or concave to receive and hold the ball and oneside of this receptacle should be slightly higher than the other.

While there have been described what are at present considered to be thepreferred embodiments of this invention, it will be obvious to thoseskilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be madetherein without departing from the invention, and it is, therefore,aimed in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modificationsas fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In an advertising device having a base and a ball supported in arelatively fixed position on the base, means for rotating the ball whilein said position comprising, in combination, an electromechanicalvibrator mounted on said base, an element engaging at one point theunderneath surface of said ball at a location offset from the verticalaxis thereof, means connecting said vibrator and element, said elementbeing mounted such that the ball engaging point on said element movessubstantially vertically upon actuation of said vibrator for impartingvertical vibrations to said ball to toss said ball vertically of thebase with a component of thrust tangentially of the surface of the ball,to cause said ball to rotate.

2. An advertising device as set forth in claim 1, further characterizedby means connected to said electromechanical vibrator for varying theamplitude of vibration of said element.

3. In a self-illuminated advertising device having a base and ballsupporting means mounted on said base for supporting a ball, thecombination comprising, means for transmitting vibrations to said ballfor imparting vertical thrust to the ball tending to toss said ballvertically of the supporting means and tangential thrust to cause saidball to rotate with respect to the supporting means while in the airabove the same, a hidden light source, said ball supporting means alsoforming means for focusing a light beam from said light source on to theunderneath surface of said ball to illuminate said underneath surfacewhile said ball is in the air above the supporting means.

4. An advertising device comprising, in combination, a base, a framemounted on said base and having a cross bar, an electromagnetic coilmounted on said cross-bar and Within said frame, a vibratory platemounted on said 4 frame and having a free end in the electromagneticfield established by said coil, a ring mounted on said base and locatedabove said vibratory plate for suspending a ball therein, and a fingerconnected to said vibratory plate for engaging the underneath side ofthe ball suspended in said ring to cause said ball to vibrate.

5. An advertising device as set forth in claim 4, further characterizedby said vibratory plate having a second free end, eccentric meansmounted on said frame and in engagement with the said second free end ofsaid vibratory plate, means for turning said eccentric with respect tosaid vibratory plate to vary the force therebetween thereby to vary theamplitude of vibration of the other free end of said vibratory plate.

6. In an advertising device having a base, and ball supporting meansmounted stationary on said base for freely supporting a ball, thecombination comprising, an electromechanical vibrator mounted on saidbase, a finger mounted independently of said supporting means forengagement with the underneath surface of said ball at a point offsetfrom the vertical axis thereof, said finger being carried by saidvibrator for imparting vertical vibrations to the ball to toss said ballvertically of the supporting means with a component of thrusttangentially of the surface of the ball, to cause said ball to rotatewith respect to said ball supporting means while in the air above thesame.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,236,433 Herberts Aug. 14, 1917 2,063,687 Lefrand Dec. 8, 19362,116,638 Prins May 10, 1938 2,289,381 Niblick July 14, 1942

